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DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is difficult to invent something totally new. Mainly, the history of inventions and innovative technologies has been about improving or converting some older ideas, and TESH all-terrain concept is no exception. The classical worm-vehicle, which consists of two barrels with helical blades on the outside, was used as the prototype. The worms are fixed on a solid frame, and they cut into the ground under the action of torque from the propulsion unit, providing very good adhesion, even greater than that of a track. As a result, flotation of a vehicle is increased considerably.
The worm-vehicle is a fully amphibian off-road vehicle designed for homogeneous media, like those which can be found in bogs and swamps. A pilot batch of such vehicles was made in Russia, and some of them could, under certain conditions, reach a speed of 35 km/h. Later they were given up because of the aggressive influence of worms on the surface. In other words, they destroyed the road surface severely, and for that reason could not be used anywhere but in swamps. Besides, this way of motion features very low efficiency and requires high power inputs. Normally, such vehicles have to be transported on special platforms. In addition, maneuverability of such a vehicle is low, and when one of its rotors fails, it cannot go any further, but, like a track vehicle, can only turn round itself.
The experience gained in using the prototype, i.e. the well-known worm-vehicle, has been applied to the support-running gear in question, and this is one of its advantages. This experience can be very helpful at working out and designing all-terrain vehicles based on TESH concept.
Одним из достоинств описываемого опорно-ходового устройства является опыт, наработанный при использовании прототипа - общеизвестного шнекохода. Этот опыт может быть с успехом применен при разработке и проектировании вездеходной техники на основе концепции ТЕШ.
Subject of the Invention:
This invention relates to transport mechanical engineering, and, in particular, to support-running gears with enhanced flotation ability. This invention represents a way to enable a vehicle to move both off and on the road without doing much harm to the paving. Also, maneuverability of the vehicle is improved, speed of running on stable grounds and on the road is increased, and working capacity in case of a failure of one of its support-running gears is enhanced. Furthermore, the vehicle gains good amphibian properties and ability to move at a high speed afloat.
As it follows from the main embodiment of the concept described here (i.e. TESH with rotary segments), the objects of this invention can be achieved due to the vehicle support-running gear including a barrel with a helical blade that is located on its surface and is made of separate parts being segments provided with pins. There are holes in the barrel, into which turning pins of the helical blade components are inserted. This enables TESH to work in three independent modes (see Figs. 1-3).
There is an alternative embodiment, which is as follows: A helical blade consisting of separate parts, with the slots in the barrel where segments can move radially (TESH with retractable segments). When the segments are extended from the barrel the vehicle can go axially, and when they are inside the barrel (i.e. retracted) the vehicle can go perpendicularly to the axis. This allows to quickly change direction of motion by 90 degrees without turning in an arc, which is true for the both types of TESH. This imparts excellent maneuverability to the vehicle.
With TESH, a vehicle can move on the road as well as off the road. In moving on a compact ground or on the road the TESH that has retractable segments retracts them, making them barrels that roll like ordinary smooth rollers. This enables to increase speed a lot, making it higher than in the case of track vehicles and, possibly, than that of the TESH with turning segments. Moreover, some resilient cover can be attached to the outer surface of the barrel and to those parts of the worms that contact the paving. In this case damage to the road would be minor and quite comparable to the damage caused by normal cars.
Another important advantage of the both types of TESH is that even if one of the support-running gears fail, the other one will keep moving the vehicle perpendicularly to the axial direction. This enhances working capacity of the vehicle, since it can leave the dangerous area where it has got damaged on its own.
It is reasonable to start all the aforesaid transformations of the helical blade segments, as well as rotation and retraction/extension of the segments aimed to reduce power inputs, with the top and the sides of the barrel.
The subject of the main embodiment (TESH with rotary blades) is clarified with the following drawings:
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1. a segment of the helical blade |
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2. barrel |
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3. folding wheel supports |
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4. articulating hitch |
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5. pipeline |
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6. vehicle frame |
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7. bearings |
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8. semi-frame |
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9. longitudinal cover plates |
Fig.1 Worm mode, TESH worm
The segments of the helical blade are turned so that they form a continuos helix. This mode can be used in maneuvering on the ground and afloat. |
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Fig.2 Blade mode, TESH blade
The segments are turned parallel with the barrel axis to provide maximum adhesion with the surface. This mode is assumed to be used for driving on heavily watered grounds, on the water, or when it is necessary to climb a steep ascent on loose granular grounds. |
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Fig.3 Rolling mode, TESH roller.
The segments are turned perpendicularly to the rotor axis, their outer surfaces forming closed circles, which help TESH to roll smoothly. In this mode the segments can take maximum dynamic load, and the vehicle can move everywhere, except for the places where some water barriers need to be crossed. This mode is most saving of the modes described above. |
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Depending on the properties of the ground, the vehicle can move with its segments turned and fixed in some intermediate positions, not in those corresponding to the modes described above. This enables to transform TESH for the worm mode, make a maneuver and return to the initial mode.
Depending on the type of the vehicle designed, some type of TESH gear should be chosen. The choice will depend on whether it is supposed to be a land vehicle or an amphibian, and, respectively, on the modes that are going to be used and on the control mechanism that is going to turn the segments and shift the TESH gear from one mode to another.
For instance, a fully amphibian all-terrain vehicle would take a TESH gear with a three-mode segment-control mechanism supporting all the three operation modes available, i.e. rolling/worm/ screw propeller, while a land vehicle would do with a double-mode TESH (rolling/worm), which would make the segment control mechanism much simpler and make the whole structure lighter. The mechanism is designed taking into account that all the segments cannot turn at a time, and a few rows of segments will always be under load. This will allow to keep rotation of the segments under control in case some foreign object has got stuck between them or one of them has failed.
Fig.4 A standard complete set including a solid frame equipped with two Tesh gears with helixes running in opposite directions.
As it is seen on the figure, both of them work in the worm mode, conveying progressive motion to the vehicle in either direction along their axes, which depends on the direction of rotation of the barrels.
TESH is able to vary its ground-adhesion properties, and therefore the vehicle has two directions to go in, as follows:
1. 1. The main direction - perpendicular to the axes of rotation of TESH barrels, which is provided in two operation modes: the rolling mode and the blade mode.
2. 2. - along the axes of TESH barrels, as shown on the figure, which is done by rotation of both TESH gears working in the worm mode in opposite directions. If necessary, this mode enables the vehicle to "go aside", irrespective of the paving properties. To make the vehicle turn round itself on the spot, TESH worms should rotate in the same direction. When it is necessary to make maneuvers or to go off the travel course, the operator should shift forward or back TESH gear to the worm mode. After that it should be rotated in either direction, while the other TESH slows down or stops its rotation.
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Fig.5 YASHCHER - - a system of two disengageable semi-frames with folding supports, each equipped with a transformable worm. In this instance both the TESH gears have helixes running in the same direction (mono-directional). The semi-frames are provided with TESH gears with pairs of folding wheel supports hingedly attached to their sides (3). The whole structure is called TESH unit. The semi-frames are coupled with an articulating hitch (4).
Placing two TESH gears of the same helix direction (two mono-directional TESH gears) on the same frame - a non-standard complete set - enables the vehicle to maneuver without reversing its rotation, just by accelerating or slowing rotation of one of them. There is no need to stop it still, which adds to the general speed of motion.
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In case of YASHCHER System, maneuvering can be done without transforming the forward or the back worm, which is due to the articulating hitch, no matter which TESH gear complete set is used, just by turning the whole structure around the hinge. It can be done with a pair of hydraulic cylinders located aside from the articulating hitch. It enables to maintain adequate controllability of the vehicle at a high speed, with low energy inputs and minor damage to the paving. Still, the reserve way of maneuvering is a short-time shift of forward or back TESH gear to the worm mode and back to the initial mode.
On a solid and stable paving a vehicle with the non-standard TESH gear can start moving in one direction only, i.e. in the main direction of motion. Being in a loose ground, a vehicle with the same complete set can start moving in either of two directions available: perpendicular to the axes of barrels, i.e. in the main direction of motion, and in the angular auxiliary direction. In that case the segments of TESH barrels are turned to make a helix, which is the worm mode. The barrels rotate in one direction, the vehicle moving at the angle equal to the one between the barrel axis and the helix. The worm mode is also used in one of the TESH gears for maneuvering, and when it proves necessary to turn the vehicle round its axis on the spot, the two TESH worms have to be turned in opposite directions.
The articulating hitch and zero clearance make it possible to compensate for unevenness of the ground without losing touch with the ground surface.
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Fig.6 The embodiment of the vehicle where only one TESH gear with a fixed wheel or roller support is used, or an unfastened semi-frame of YASHCHER System with unfolded wheel supports (an emergency case, when the second TESH unit fails).
Torque is transferred from the propulsion plant for rotation and transformation of TESH, which helps the vehicle to move and maneuver.
Also, such a vehicle can be maneuvered by changing TESH roller or TESH blade over to the worm mode, after which TESH worm should rotate in either direction, with its segments cutting into ground (if it's loose) and making the vehicle move slightly forwards and sideways, to the left or to the right, depending on the direction of rotation of TESH barrel. In order to prevent the vehicle from moving forward, the wheels of its folding or fixed supports are provided with brakes, which, if the operator wants to carry out some maneuver, get engaged trying to keep the support fixed. Ideally, the wheel support should remain immovable, while TESH unit revolves around it.
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When TESH unit goes on firm paving with the support wheel not fixed, then even in the worm mode it will go only perpendicularly to the barrel axis, and there will be no shifting from the course that was being laid before. On a loose ground special anchors, which dig themselves deep into the ground for maneuvering, can be used to keep the support.
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Fig.7 Using TESH gears in pipelines for mixing and feeding some fluid in all the three modes described above.
Using TESH gears for giving out prizes won from playing machines: the prize is in a spherical container, and there is pipe (5) with the holes for rolling the container out. Both horizontal and vertical layout of the machine is possible.
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Fig.8 When one needs to go a long way on the water, it is required to make the amphibian go faster. This can be done through enlargement of the area of contact of the segments with water, the segments working as paddles. For this purpose, special longitudinal cover plates, covering the whole area between the edges of the barrel, should be put on some rows or even on every row. This can be done by hand or with some mechanic implements.
In the mean time the second TESH gear is free to work in the worm mode, perform as a rudder and make maneuvers. When the vehicle gets to the land from water, the free TESH is the first to touch the ground, while the other one, provided with the cover plates, rotates to generate an additional propulsive force that should make it easier to get on the ground. This method is particularly efficient in icy conditions (when the vehicle is pulling itself over from water to the ice).
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